Fox Hunting: Paolo Reinach to partake in his 1000th fox hunt

The president of the Casorate Riding club Paolo Reinach, will be participating in his 1000th fox hunt during the “Il Cavallo, La Brughiera” (the horse and the moorland) fair, a career which has enthralled him for over a half a century and which can trace its roots back to the traditional relationship between horses and Casorate Sempione.
It all began in 1882, when the Milanese society for horse-back hunting was founded, and its head quarters were not located close to the Duomo, instead they were on the vast ranch of count Scheibler in Castellazzo di Rho. As time passed the forests of the moorland of Casorate Sempione represented the ideal frame to host this discipline. In the land which has often been nicknamed “Little England”, it was inevitable that the most British of pastimes, fox hunting, would find its home.
There is no cruelty in this discipline, because there are no foxes in the forests in Ticino Valley, and the presence of the fox is simulated.
The simulation is done by a rider on horseback setting a trail for the hounds to follow using Fox urine, and then the horse may commence.
Fox hunting is a traditional sport which will be represented in the 2009 edition of “Il Cavallo, la Brughiera”, a tradition which will be celebrated this year, with a fox hunt being held on Sunday the 26th of April, naturally just the simulated version, and the hunt will pass through the town, then on to the moorland and finally it will wind its way to the “La Capinera” ranch.
Paolo Reinach will be one of the hunters taking part in the occasion, and will reach a considerable milestone, his 1000th hunt. “I started to hunt back in 1934, I was just nine, my passion was passed to me by my dad who was a cavalry official” Reinach recounts the origin of his passion. A caricature by Tabet published in the Guerin Meschino magazine depicts the Milanese hunting society back in 1938, and amongst the hunters is a 13-year-old Paolo Reinach, getting ready to participate in his 100th hunt. Seventy years later the tally has reached 1000th, and an important part of the history of Casorate Sempione and horse.